diff --git a/cdc-service/src/main/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcController.java b/cdc-service/src/main/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcController.java
index 621af2df..b40ddf80 100644
--- a/cdc-service/src/main/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcController.java
+++ b/cdc-service/src/main/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcController.java
@@ -108,13 +108,27 @@ private Map<String, Object> sourceEntry(com.xtrmetl.cdc.spi.CdcSourceConnector s
         return entry;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Requests CDC engine startup and exposes only a stable public failure contract.
+     *
+     * @return {@code 200} when startup is accepted, or {@code 500} without internal startup diagnostics
+     */
     @PostMapping("/start")
     @Observed(name = "cdc.start", contextualName = "cdc-start")
     public ResponseEntity<String> startCdc() {
-        cdcService.start();
-        return ResponseEntity.ok("CDC process started");
+        try {
+            cdcService.start();
+            return ResponseEntity.ok("CDC process started");
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            return ResponseEntity.internalServerError().body("CDC process could not be started");
+        }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Requests CDC engine shutdown and exposes only a stable public failure contract.
+     *
+     * @return {@code 200} when shutdown succeeds, or {@code 500} without internal shutdown diagnostics
+     */
     @PostMapping("/stop")
     @Observed(name = "cdc.stop", contextualName = "cdc-stop")
     public ResponseEntity<String> stopCdc() {
@@ -122,7 +136,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<String> stopCdc() {
             cdcService.stop();
             return ResponseEntity.ok("CDC process stopped");
         } catch (IOException e) {
-            return ResponseEntity.internalServerError().body("Error stopping CDC process: " + e.getMessage());
+            return ResponseEntity.internalServerError().body("CDC process could not be stopped");
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/cdc-service/src/test/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcControllerTest.java b/cdc-service/src/test/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcControllerTest.java
index 08cf2f5d..3a4eca0d 100644
--- a/cdc-service/src/test/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcControllerTest.java
+++ b/cdc-service/src/test/java/com/xtrmetl/cdc/controller/CdcControllerTest.java
@@ -69,6 +69,21 @@ void testStartCdc() {
         verify(cdcService, times(1)).start();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testStartCdcWithExceptionDoesNotExposeInternalDiagnostics() {
+        String sensitiveDiagnostic =
+                "Failed to initialize jdbc:postgresql://db.internal/prod?user=cdc&password=driver-secret";
+        doThrow(new IllegalStateException(sensitiveDiagnostic)).when(cdcService).start();
+
+        ResponseEntity<String> response = cdcController.startCdc();
+
+        assertEquals(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, response.getStatusCode());
+        assertEquals("CDC process could not be started", response.getBody());
+        assertFalse(response.getBody().contains("driver-secret"));
+        assertFalse(response.getBody().contains("jdbc:postgresql://"));
+        verify(cdcService, times(1)).start();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testStopCdc() throws IOException {
         ResponseEntity<String> response = cdcController.stopCdc();
@@ -79,13 +94,17 @@ void testStopCdc() throws IOException {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void testStopCdcWithException() throws IOException {
-        doThrow(new IOException("Error stopping CDC")).when(cdcService).stop();
+    void testStopCdcWithExceptionDoesNotExposeInternalDiagnostics() throws IOException {
+        String sensitiveDiagnostic =
+                "Error closing offset store at jdbc:postgresql://db.internal/prod?password=driver-secret";
+        doThrow(new IOException(sensitiveDiagnostic)).when(cdcService).stop();
 
         ResponseEntity<String> response = cdcController.stopCdc();
 
         assertEquals(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, response.getStatusCode());
-        assertEquals("Error stopping CDC process: Error stopping CDC", response.getBody());
+        assertEquals("CDC process could not be stopped", response.getBody());
+        assertFalse(response.getBody().contains("driver-secret"));
+        assertFalse(response.getBody().contains("jdbc:postgresql://"));
         verify(cdcService, times(1)).stop();
     }